Printing-press.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

F. J. HERDLE. PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1903.

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P. J. HBRDLE. PRINTING PRESS.

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F. J. HERDLE.

PRINTING PRESS.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1903.

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PRINTING PRESS.

APPLIOATION EILED S-EPT. 8, 1903.

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4 Izzy/5 fl -KM @gim rm m: NORRIS wzrznx co, anomum Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. HERDLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 762,633, datedJune 14, 1904. Application filed September 8,1903. Seria.l N0.172,326. (No model.)

for printing upon large surfaces-as, for instance, for printing large signs-and refers particularly to the fornrbed of such a printing-press, to the means for operating it, to

the means for mixing the ink, and to the means for applying the ink to the form.

The invention further refers to a means for traveling the inking mechanism over the form bed.

The invention further refers to an independent means for actuating the inking mechanism tospread the ink upon theinking-rollers preparatory to spreading it upon the form.

The invention further relates to an improved. means for feeding ink to the inking-rollers.

The invention further refers to an inking mechanism wherein certain of the inkingrollers are susceptible of being rendered inactive.

In the embodiment herein shown of this invention a main frame of considerable length is provided, upon one end of which frame is supported the form-bed and upon the other end a printing-bed. Upon the main frame is mounted an inking apparatus adapted to be traveled to and fro over the form-bed. An impression-roller rotatably supported on a suitable carriage is susceptible of a movement lengthwise of the main frame over both the form-bed and the printing-bed, independent means being provided for traveling the inking apparatus and the impression-roller carrlage. I

a top plan view of a portion of a printingpress embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation'of said portion. Fig. 3 is a view similar to the preceding figure, taken from the opposite side of the press. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on dotted line a a of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the mechanism for reversing the retative movement of the inking-rollers when the inker mechanism is being operated to spread ink upon the rollers preparatory to the operation of the press. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing the means for throwing the mixing-drive into and out of action. Fig. 7'is a side elevation of the inker-carriage. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section through the inkercarriage, taken on dotted line 8 8 of Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the inker-carriage, taken from the opposite side thereof from that shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a vertical section through said carriage, taken on dotted line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through the inker-carriage on dotted line 11 11 of Fig. 7. Fig. 12 shows the arms and their connections for reversing and stopping the travel of the inker-carriage. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section through the frame of the inker-carriage, taken on dotted line 13 13 of Fig. 8. p

In the construction of this printing-press I providea main frame 1 and on opposite sides thereof form the two guide-rails 2. On one side of the frame 1 is a rack-bar 3, and on each side of said frame is a track 4, said tracks extending parallel with the guide-rails 2 and the rack-bar 3. A drive-shaft 5 extends transversely of and is journaled in the main frame 1', said drive-shaft carrying a drive-pulley 6, a loose pulley 7, a worm 8, two pulleys 9 and 10 for traveling the impression-roller carriage, and two similar pulleys 11 and 12 for traveling the inker-carriage, all of said pulleys (except the pulley 7) and the worm 8being fixed to the drive-shaft 5. Power is communicated to said drive-shaft by means of a belt (not 7 I shown) passing over the pulley 6. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is p A form-bed 13 is supported in the main frame'to. one side of the longitudinal center thereof and a printing-bed 14 to the other side of the longitudinal center of the frame. In the upper face of the form-bed 13 areformed undercut grooves adapted to receive dovetail strips 13 of wood or metal. When the form is composed of metallic type, metal strips 13 are employed to afford a firm unyielding sufface over the whole form-bed. When wooden type is employed, wooden strips 13* are used,

said form being attached to the bed by screws 13" passing through the form into said strips, as shown in Fig. 1.

As hereinbefore stated, the inker-carriage is susceptible of a movement longitudinally of the main frame 1 over the form-bed. The mechanism for thus traveling said carriage will now be described: A shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in the main frame and extends transversely thereof. 7 Upon this shaft and within the frame are two flanged pulleys 16, around each of which passes a cable 17, and these cables, attached at their opposite ends to the inker-carriage, are wrapped one or more times around the pulleys 16 and pass intermediately over the sheaves 18. It will thus be seen that a rotation of the shaft 15 will travel the inker-carriage either backward or forward over the form-bed, the direction of movement of the carriage depending upon the rotative direction of said shaft. Two pulleys 19 and 20, loosely mounted upon the shaft 15, receive the crossed drive-belt 21 and the straight drive-belt 22, respectively, running from the pulleys 11 and 12 on the drive-shaft 5 over said pulleys 19 and 20. The hubs of the pulleys 19 and have clutch-faces 23 and 24, respectively,corresponding with the clutch member 25, movable between said clutch-faces and adapted to engage either one or the other of said faces. The clutch member 25 is slidably mounted upon the shaft 15, but has a rotative connection therewith. It is moved lengthwise of the shaft by means of the clutcharm 26, pivotally supported upon a portion of the main frame.

The ink mixing and applying device will next be described. This apparatus is supported upon a carriage 27, mounted upon the main frame, and is movable longitudinally thereof by means of the wheels 28, which run upon the tracks 4. Upon the carriage 27 are bearings 29 for supporting the shafts of rollers 30, said rollers being covered with the usual printers roller composition. The bearings 29 are vertically adjustable by means of their threaded stems 31, lying within boxes 32, and these boxes are adjustably secured upon the side of the carriage by means of bolts 33, lying within elongated openings 34 in the side flanges of said boxes. The composition rollers are arranged in four pairs lying side by side, and directly above each pair of these composition rollers is a smooth iron roller 35, rotatably mounted in the bearings 36. Outside the framework of the carriage 27 a cam-wheel 57, having the cam-groove 37, is fixed to each of the shafts of the rollers Above each of said rollers and running in contact therewith is a composition roller 38, mounted in the bearings 39, which bearings are similar in construction to the bearings 29, permitting of both a vertical and a sidewise adjustment of the rollers 38. Above the four composition rollers last mentioned are two smooth iron rollers 40, each of said rollers being in contact with the peripheries of the two composition rollers 38 immediately beneath it. Fixed to the outer ends of the shafts of the iron rollers 40 are cam-wheels 41, having cam-grooves 41. The smooth iron rollers 40 are each surmounted by a composition roller 42, rotatably mounted in inclined openings 43 in the sides of the carriage, whereby said rollers are held by their weight in contact with the periphery of a large inking-roller 44, mounted in suitable bearings in the upper part of the carriage 27 This large inking-roller is surmounted by three small composition rollers 45, the shafts of which are rotatably supported between the upwardly-extending arms of the yokes 46 and carry at one end cam-wheels having peripheralgrooves 45, therein. Upon the rear end of the carriage is mounted an ink-fountain 47, having grooves 48 in its sides to receive partitions for reducing the size of the fountain when only a small quantity of ink is to be used. The side of the fountain nearest the large inking-roller 44 is closed by a composition roller 49, supported in suitable bearings in said fountain, and the bottom 50 of the fountain is inclined toward and extends partially under said roller 49. This bottom is formed of spring material, and the edge underlying the roller 49 is held upwardly against the periphery of said roller by means of a series of wedges 51, each of which wedges is adapted to be moved forward or backward by means of its screw-threaded adjusting-rod 52. By adjusting the position of these wedges the quantity of ink withdrawn from the fountain by the roller 49 is regulated and a proper discharge from the fountain thus made possible. A connecting composition roller 53 lies between the roller 49 and the large inkingroller 44 in position to contact the peripheries of both of said rollers. The shaft of this connecting-roller 53 is rotatably supported between the upwardly-extending arms of two yokes 54, said yokes being pivotally connected with the carriage 27 by means of the pivots 55. Said roller 53 therefore may be withdrawn from contact with the feed.roller 49 in the fountain.

A drive-shaft 56 extends through and is journaled in the lower part of the inker-carriage 27 and carries within the frame of said carriage a sprocketwheel 57, by means of which sprocket-wheel motion is communicated to said shaft to rotate the inking-rollers of the carriage in spreading the ink upon said rollers and mixing said ink before the printing operation is begun, as will appear hereinafter. Outside the carriage the shaft 56 carries a pinion 58 in mesh with the gear-train illustrated in Fig. 7, and outside the pinion 58 the pinion 59, adapted to mesh with the rack 3 upon one IIO side of the main frame for driving the various inking-rollers when the carriage 27 is traveled. To the opposite end of the shaft 56 outside the inker-carriage is fixed a cam-wheel 60, having a ,cam-groove 60 in its periphery. This camgroove is adapted to receive at diametrically opposite points two roller-studs 61, rotatably mounted in the yoke 62, the stem 62 of said yoke being pivotally mounted in a bearing 63, secured to one side of the inker-carriage. The ends of the'arms of the yoke 62 extend outwardly, and the end of each of said arms is pivotally connected with a crank-arm 64, rigidly fixedwith relation to a shaft 65. each of which several shafts 65 bears at its upper end a T-head 66, having at its extremities roller-studs 66, adapted to lie within the camgrooves 37 in the cam-wheels 37. Roller-studs 67 of a T-head 67, secured to the upper end of the yoke-stem 62, travel within the camgrooves 41 of the cam-wheels 41. A frame 68 is rigidly secured to the T-head 67 and earries roller-studs 69, lying in the cam-grooves 45 of the cam-wheels 45. The rotation of the cam-wheel 60 thus will impart an endwise movement to the inking-rollers 37, 41, and 45, which endwise movement tends to facilitate the even distribution of ink upon all of the inking-rollers.

In order to rotate the feed-roller 49 in the ink-fountain in one direction only, and thereby to insure the feeding of the ink between said feed-rollerand the flexible bottom 50 of the inkfountain,I mount a ratchet-wheel 7 O on loosely mount on said shaft an oscillatory arm 71, carrying a-pivoted pawl 71, which pawl is adapted to engage the teeth of said ratchet-wheel 7 O. The lower end of said oscillatory arm carries a stud 71, adapted to enter a suitable notch 2 in the connectinglever 72, one end of which connecting-lever is pivotally mounted upon awrist-pin 7 3, adjustably secured in any suitable manner in a radial slot 7 3 in the face-plate 73, fixed upon the shaft of the main inking-roller 44.

To cut off the feed of ink to the inking-rollers during the return movement of the inkercarriage, I employ the following described mechanism. A rock-shaft 74 extends transversely through the forward end of the inkercarriage, and to one end of said shaft outside of said carriage is fixed a shifting-lever 75, the lower end of said lever extending downwardly into a position where it will be engaged by a stop, to be hereinafter mentioned, upon the supporting-frame. A crank-arm 76 is rigidly mounted upon the opposite end of the shaft 74, and the upper ends of said shifting-lever and crank-arm are connected with the oscillatory yokes 54 by means of adjustable connecting-rods 77. The crank-arm 76 has a projecting linger 76 for a purpose to appear later herein. A coil-spring 78, ex-

to the inking-rollers.

tending between a fixed point on the inkercarriage and the crank-arm 76, tends to hold the connecting-roller 53 in contact with the feed-roller 49. Upon the outer side of the inker-carriage adjacent to the lower end of the shifting-lever is mounted a spring-detent 79, having at its inclined forward end a hook 80 and beneath and behind said hook a projection 81. A stop 82 is movabl y secured upon the main frame in position to engage the lower end of the shifting-lever 75 when the inker-carriage has almost completed its forward movement, and thus force the end of said shifting-lever over the inclined forward end of the springdetent 79, where said lever is engaged and retained by the hook 80. The movement just described of the shifting-lever 75 withdraws the connecting-roller 53 from contact with the feed-roller 49 and interrupts the feed of ink The shifting-lever 75 remains in its engagement with the hook 80 until the inker-carriage nears its initial position, when the projection 81 upon the springdetent comes into contact with a cam 83, rigidly mounted upon the supporting-frame 1, by means of which cam said detent is withdrawn from engagement with the shiftinglever75.' Upon being thus released said shifting-lever is immediately returned to its normal position by the eoil-spring-78, and the connecting-roller 53 is thereby again placed in contact with the feed-roller 49.

Before starting the machine it is desirable to distribute the ink evenly upon the inkingrollers, and this distribution 1 accomplish by rotating the inking-rollers without traveling the inker-carriage, the mechanism for accomplishing which will nextbe described: A shaft 84, extending longitudinally of the machine, is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 85 thereon and carries a worm-wheel86, adapted to mesh with the teeth of the worm 8, fixed to the main shaft 5. At the inker end of the machine two oppositely-facing bevelgears 87'and 88 are loosely mounted upon the shaft 84, which gears mesh with similar gears 89 and 90, fixed upon the outer ends of two short shafts 91 and 92, rotatably supported in suitable bearings in and extending'out wardly from the supporting-frame 1. To

the inner ends of the shafts 91 and 92 are fixed sprocket wheels 93 and 94, over which sprocket-wheels is placed a chain belt 95. The bevel-gears 87 and 88 are provided with frietion clutch members 96 and 97, slidably mounted upon, but rotatably connected with, the shaft 84. Between the sprocket-wheels 93 and 94 the chain belt 95 at its upper side rides upon an upwardly-curved shoe 98 to carry said chain upward into engagement with the sprocket-wheel 57 of the inking apparatus when said apparatus is in its initial position. hen the clutch member 96 is thrown into engagement with the hub of the bevel-gear 87, rotative movement of the shaft 84 is transmi'ttcd th rough the bevel-gear 89,the sprocketwheel 93, and the chain belt 95 to the inker mechanism to rotate the inking-rollers in one direction. When the clutch member 97 is thrown into engagement with the hub of the bevel-gear 88, the similar bevel-gear 90, the chain-wheel 94, the chain belt 95, and the inking-rollers are rotated in a contrary direction. The clutch members 96 and 97 are connected by means of a frame 99, which frame and clutch members are adapted to be moved by means of the operating-lever 100, pivotally mounted upon the supporting-frame 1 and projecting from one side thereof.

In mixing the ink preparatory to starting the machine it is desirable to rotate the inking-rollers alternately in opposite directions to automatically shift the clutch members 96 and 97 and operate the mechanism just described, and to accomplish this I provide the followingdescribed mechanism. Between the clutch members 96 and 97 I rigidly mount a worm 101 upon the shaft 84. This worm meshes with the teeth of the worm-wheel 102, fixed upon a short shaft 103, rotatably supported in the brackets 104, fixed with relation to the main frame 1. A disk 105 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 103, and adjacent to said disk is a similar disk 106, fixed with relation to said shaft. The first-mentioned disk is provided with a pin 107, yieldingly supported in an opening in the face of said disk by means of the coil-spring 108, and at a point diametrically opposite with a pin 109, fixed with relation to said disk. Both pins 107 and 109 project through suitable openings in the disk 106, the former pin being of sufiicient length to engage the arms of the yoke 110, which yoke is fixed with relation to the clutchshifting frame 99. From this construction it will be seen that as the shaft 84 is rotated the inking-rollers will be driven and the clutch members 96 and 97 automatically shifted by the throw of the sliding revolving pin 107. The pin 107 is made yielding, so that its disk 105 may be slid to and from the yoke 110 regardless of the position of either the pin or the yoke. The disk 105 may be slid upon the shaft 103 to withdraw the pin 107 from engagement with the yoke 110 by means of the hand-rod 111, which, with the shiftinglever 100, extends to the opposite side of the main frame 1.

When the inking-rollers are rotated in a reverse or backward direction, it is desirable to withdraw the connecting-roller 53 from contact with the feed-roller 49, and this I accomplish by means of arod 112, vertically slidable in the bearings 113, secured to the side of the inker-carriage 27 The upper end of this red engages the linger 7 6 of the crankarm 76, and the lower end of the rod is provided with a roller 114, adapted to be engaged by a cam-block 115 upon the shiftingyoke 110. When the yoke 110 and the frame 99 are shifted to drive the inking-rollers backward, the cam-block 115, engaging the roller 114, raises the rod 112 and through the crank-arm 76 withdraws the connecting-roller 53 from peripheral contact With the feed-roller 49. When the yoke and frame are shifted into a contrary position, the connecting-roller 53 is returned to its position in contact with the feed-roller 49 by means of the spring 78. The connecting-roller 53 may also thus be withdrawn from and held out of contact with the feed-roller 49 by moving the shifting-lever 75, so that the rod 112 is raised by engagement with the cam-block 115.

When but little ink is required to properly ink the form, a number of the inking-rollers may be rendered inoperative by removing the rollers 42 from their inclined bearings 43 and dropping them into the inclined pockets 116 upon thearms 117 of the inker-carriage 27. Upon the gear side of the carriage the pockets 116 are formed on the inner side of the frame, so as not to interfere with members of the gear-train. The rollers 40 are also removed and ink is distributed upon the form only by the two inner pairs of rollers 30.

To operate the clutch for traveling the inker-carriage, I provide an oscillatory shaft 118, mounted in suitable bearings at one side of the main frame. The shaft 118 has an arm 119 fixed thereto, connected, by means of a connecting-rod 120, with the clutch-arm 26. For operating the clutch by hand the shaft 118 is provided with several handles 121, lo-

cated at convenient intervals throughout its length. For automatically reversing the direction of travel of the inker-carriage and for stopping said carriage in its initial position I provide two arms 122 and 123, pivotally mounted within the supporting-frame 1 at points representing the limits of movement of the inker-carriage, the arm 122 being located at the initial position of said carriage. The arms 122 and 123 are connected by means of a rod 124, having in its length a rack-bar 125, adapted to mesh with the teeth of a pinion 126, mounted upon a shaft 127, supported in the main frame 1, said shaft carrying at its opposite end a pinion 128, meshing with the teeth of a vertical rack-bar 129. The lower end of the rack-bar 129 has teeth adapted to mesh with those of a segment 130, fixed to the shaft 118. The arm 122 is so located with reference to the limit of rearward movement of the inker-carriage that the pivotal movement of said arm when contacted by the carriage will be sufficient only to place the clutch member 25 in its intermediate position, thereby stopping the carriage when it reaches its initial position. The movement of the arm 123, however, oscillates the shaft 118 sufficiently to shift the clutch member 25 from one extremity of its movement to the other, thus reversing the travel of the inkercarriage at the outward extremity of the movement of said carriage and automatically returning it to its initial position.

In operation power is communicated to the machine by means of a belt passing over the pulley 6 on the main shaft 5, the inker-carriage having first been placed in its initial position. If it is desirable first to spread ink upon the inking-rollers, the clutch member 25 is placed in its intermediate position and the operating-rod 111 pushed inward to throw the yielding pin 107 into the path of the yoke 110. The rotation of the shaft 84 transmitted through one or the other of the bevelgears 87 and 88 to the chain belt 95 rotates. the inking-rollers. The rotative movement of said shaft transmitted through the worm 101 and the worm-wheel102 also oscillates the shifting-yoke 110 and shifting-frame 99 alternately in opposite directions, first to place the clutch member 96 in engagement with its bevel-gear 87 and then the clutch member 97 with its bevel-gear 88. The rotative motion of the shaft 103 is comparatively slow, so that the inking-rollers are rotated several times in one direction before their rotation is reversed. When the ink has been evenly distributed upon the inkingrollers, the alternating distributing mechanism is stopped by means of the lever 111 and the inking apparatus connected with the driving mechanism by placing the clutch member 25 in operative engagement with the pulley 19, causing the travel of said inker-carriage. hen in this travel the inker-carriage reaches the forward imit of its movement, it engages the arm 123, a movement of which by the connections hereinbefore described shifts the clutch member 25 from the clutch-face 23 to the clutch-face 24c, reversing the direction of travel of said carriage. When the inker-carriage reaches its initial position, it engages the arm 122, which, as before explained, withdraws the clutch member 25 from engagement with the clutch-face 24, leaving said clutch member in an intermediate position, thus stopping the travel of the carriage until it is again caused to travel by the act of the operator.

It is clear that the mechanism .herein illustrated and described is susceptible of many modifications in the form and arrangement of its parts without a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore I do not limit myself to the particular construction herein set forth.

I claim as my invention 1. In a printing-press, in combination, a form-bed; an inking mechanism; means for traveling said mechanism forward and backward over said form-bed; and means adapted to be engaged by said inking mechanism during its travel for stopping the travel of sai inking mechanism.

2. In a printing-press, in combination, a form-bed; an inking mechanism adapted to travel forward and backward over said formbed; means actuated by the travel of said inking mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of said inking mechanism; and means adapted to be engaged by said inking mechanism during its travel for stopping the travel of said inking mechanism.

3. In a printing-press, in combination, a form-bed; an inking mechanism adapted to travel forward and backward over said formbed; and a pivoted arm operatively connected with said traveling means, adapted to be moved by said inking mechanism during its travel for stopping the travel of said inking mechanism.

4. In a printing-press, in combination, an inking-roller; positive means for rotating said roller; a clutch for reversing the direction of rotation of said roller; a yoke fixed with relation to said clutch; and a rotary disk having a pin adapted to engage said yoke for reciprocating the yoke.

5. In a printing-press, in combination, an ink-fountain; an inking-roller; a feeding connection between said ink-fountain and said inking-roller; means for rotating said roller; means for reversing the direction of rotation of said roller; and means for breaking said feeding connection during the rotation of said roller in one direction.

6. In a printing-press, in combination, an ink-fountain; an inking-roller; a feeding connection between said ink-fountain and said inking-roller; positive means for rotating said roller; means for automatically reversing the direction of rotation of said roller; and means for breaking said feeding connection during the rotation of said roller in one direction.

7. In a printing-press, in combination, an ink-fountain; an inking-roller; a connectingroller for establishing a feeding connection between said inking-roller and said ink-fountain; means for rotating said inking-roller; means for reversing the direction of rotation of said inking-roller; and means for holding said connecting-roller out of connection with said ink-fountain during the rotation of said inking-roller in one direction.

8. In a printing-press, in combination, a form-bed; an inking-roller adapted to travel forward and backward over said bed; an inkfountain; a feeding connection between said inking-roller and said ink-fountain; and means for breaking said connection during the travel of said roller in one direction.

9. In a printing-press, in combination, a form-bed; an inking-roller arranged to travel forward and backward over said bed; an inkfountain; a connecting-roller for establishing a feeding connection between said inkingroller and said ink-fountain; and means for holding said connecting-roller out of connection with said ink-fountain during th travel of Said inking-roller in one direction.

10. In a printing-press, in combination, a

ing the connection between said inking-roller and said ink-fountain; and means on the main frame for restablishing such connection.

12. In a printingrpress, in combination, an

inking mechanism; a sprocket-wheel for actu- 2O ating said inking mechanism; a sprocket-chain; two sprocket-wheels for supporting said chain; and means for supporting a portion of said sprocket chain in position to engage the sprocket-wheel for actuating the inking mech- 2 5 anism.

FREDERICK J. HERDLE. Witnesses:

L. L. MILLER, GEORGE L. CH'INDAHL. 

